Jeannie’s eyes squinted as her smirk turned sinister. “This wasn’t about that family. It was about mine.”
My brows pinched. “But Leo? The others?”
Jeannie let out a heavy sigh. “They’re just helpers.”
I couldn’t help but cackle. “Right. Look, I’m a womandirectlyrelated to the head of the family. Even I don’t get helpers. You’re in trouble. They’re not here to help you. They’re here to clean up your mess. So what happened?”
“Fuck you, princess. You don’t know shit,” Jeannie said as she stood up. Her palm connected to my cheek. It was weak but stung all the same.
“Hey,” the man behind me called over. “Leo said don’t touch her.”
“Fuck you, too, Mike.”
They bickered back and forth, and I knew I was right. Leowas calling the shots now. And it was pissing her off.
Jeannie paced on the other side of the coffee table. I needed them to keep fighting. I started working to tighten the zip ties as much as I could manage when she seemed distracted. The tighter they were, the easier to bust them. I could only hope I didn’t injure my wrists badly if I got the chance to do it.
Wanting to egg them on once I got them as tight as I could, I joked, “Must be frustrating that they’re taking over your little operation.”
Jeannie kept pacing, seemingly unbothered.
“I don’t understand, though. If I’m just a thorn in your side, what was the next move? You killed Raven, but wanted his son? For what, I wonder,” I said more than asked with a curious tone.
She continued going back and forth but her strides were getting shorter and her chest rose and fell more quickly.
“Surely you didn’t just have the desire to be an Old Lady. With your family, you’d have been easily married to one of Martinelli’s men and lived a fairly soft life. So why the MC?”
There was a huff from behind me, so I glanced over my shoulder. The man was smirking, staring at Jeannie. Looking back at her, she glared at him briefly but then continued walking back and forth.
“Hmm.” I paused, replaying my last statement. “Nobody wanted you. But why? You’re beautiful, and at one point, were young.”
The man was stifling a laugh but doing a poor job at it.
Jeannie’s fists balled and she stopped. Redness bloomed over her face.
“Hey, with the work you’ve had done, you could easily pass for my age, and it’s not like you’rethatold.” Jeannie’s glare moved from the man to me, so I poked the bear again. “Although, they wouldn’t be as keen on someone who’s been ridden through by a bunch of bikers.”
“Katya–” she started, disdain dripping from her words, but I interrupted.
“Katarina.”
“Excuse mePrincess Katarina,but I was never looking to be married off like cattle, being sold to the highest bidder.”
“It’s very seldom a monetary transaction,Gianna,” I shot back. “It’s loyalty, tying families together, it’s…” A Cheshire grin spread over my face. “You’re not really part of the family.”
The man sniffed behind me.
Jeannie’s jaw worked side to side for a few seconds, but she kept her mouth shut.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh my God, your mother got knocked up, didn’t she? You’re a bastardess.”
“Don’t speak about my mother,” she gritted. “You don’t know anything, princess.”
“Not judging. But you and I both know the families frown upon such things. It is a shame that you’re blamed for the sins of your mother.”
Jeannie rushed over, the back of her hand whippingacross my face. That time, she got me good, and my head jerked with her follow through.
But the man from behind me made quick work of grabbing her. She struggled as he bear-hugged her, dragging her away from me.
